Other than attempting to convince everyone to switch to the new Windows 10 operating system, Microsoft has been trying to link its Xbox One console to the PC via Windows 10 with Game DVR, adding the ability to play with friends whether they're on a PC or Xbox One. In the latest update to the Xbox app, another feature, in the form of 1080p, 60 frames per second game streaming, will now allow players to stream their Xbox One gameplay onto their computers.
Game streaming was first revealed at the Windows 10 event in January. It eventually made its way to those in the Windows Insider program less than two weeks before the official July 29 release date of the new OS. Now all you need to do is go to the Game Streaming settings on the Xbox app and change the video encoding to "Very High" to enable 1080p/60fps streaming.
Other updates to the app include notifications to tell you when you receive an invite to a multiplayer game or party, comparing game achievements against friends, and the ability to manually add games to your growing collection.
This latest jump in game streaming finally puts Microsoft in contention with Nvidia and Sony. Nvidia's Shield TV device utilizes GRID, allowing users to stream games from its servers straight to the screen. Sony enables streaming through its subscription-based PlayStation Now service, which provides access to a certain number of PlayStation 3 titles. For those who own the PlayStation Vita, it can be used to stream content to the PlayStation 4.
Microsoft's future plans for Xbox deliver a one-two punch combination. By linking Xbox to Windows 10 with multiple features in addition to the recently announced backwards compatibility feature on Xbox One, the computer becomes the main hub for both PC and Xbox games, all of which comes together on the Xbox app.
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